From the Diocese of Newark

4
District 4 Meeting Minutes of 12/06/05
Posted by Russ Worthington
Mar 29, 2005, 12:25

District 4 Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - Christ Church in Short Hills

 
Present:  the Reverend Lauren Ackland, the Reverend Thomas E. Mathews, Larry Taber, Hester B. Wharton, Grace, Madison; Beth Rauen Sciaino, St. George's, Maplewood; Louie Crew, the Reverend J. Carr Holland, Edward Onaodowan, Grace, Newark; the Reverend Judy Baldwin, Douglas Eldridge, Dolores Macauley, House of Prayer, Newark; Edith Gallimore, John L Smith, Trinity & St. Philip's Cathedral, Newark; Cynthia McChesney, Sam McKeown, Joan Mebane, the Reverend Allison Read, the Reverend Dr. E. Bevan Stanley, Christ, Short Hills; Crystal Brown, Faith Gideon Brown, Patrice Henderson, Marilyn Lehren, the Reverend Sandye Wilson, St. Andrew & Holy Communion, South Orange; Laurie Matarazzo, Charles Rall, Calvary, Summit; Carla L. Lerman, Dist. 4-Clinton Ave. School
 

District 4 Elections

Elections were held for three positions.  Faith Gideon Brown, St. Andrew & Holy Communion, South Orange, was elected to serve a second term as District 4's lay representative on Diocesan Council.  Tom Mathews, Grace, Madison, was elected to serve a second term as District 4's clergy representative on the Nominating Committee.  Tiffany Bang, Grace, Newark, was elected to serve as District 4's youth deputy to diocesan convention, beginning in January 2006.  The position of District 4 secretary is available if anyone would like to relieve Beth Rauen Sciaino.  Otherwise she will continue in this role.  Carr Holland and Lauren Ackland offered to continue serving as co-convenors.  [Note:  In January 2006, Carr Holland became chair of the Commission on Ministry and due to the workload involved has wisely rescinded his offer to continue serving as co-convenor of District 4.]
 

Clinton Ave. School Reading Program

Carla Lerman, former executive director of Episcopal Community Development and originator of the Clinton Ave. School Reading Program, has offered to serve as coordinator for this volunteer project and will be present at the school to facilitate the process.  The program is designed to bring volunteers from District 4 congregations to read one-on-one with kindergarteners at Clinton Ave. School in Newark.  Research shows that just being read to and engaged in a story improves literacy more than anything else.  Volunteers are asked to make a weekly, one hour commitment, or could team up with another volunteer and cover the same time-slot, each volunteer coming every other week.  In one hour a volunteer can read with three children, one at a time, for 20 minutes each.  The ideal time for the school would be 1:30-2:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, and books are available at the school.  The new principal of this K-3 elementary school is very interested in getting the program established and Carla hopes to restart the program in January 2006.  The school is easily accessible from Route 78 and parking is available in a fenced lot across the street.  Those interested and available to volunteer were asked to sign up at the meeting, as well as publicize the project in their congregations.
 
Dioceses of Louisiana and Mississippi
Bevan Stanley and Lauren Ackland reported on a New York gathering convened by the bishops of Louisiana and Mississippi who communicated the immense needs of their clergy and congregations with an audience of representatives from wealthy parishes in the tri-state area.  In Mississippi, money is needed for clergy whose parishes have been wiped out so that they can continue to minister in this region.  Bishop Gray estimates that it will take $1.2 million over two years to rebuild in the Diocese of Mississippi.  The situation in Louisiana is complicated by the devastation in New Orleans.  Louisiana is seeking funds for clergy salaries and for other needs and estimates needing to raise $3 million over two years.   Both Episcopal Relief & Development and the Church Pension Group have legal restrictions which prevent them from making contributions in these areas.  [The Dioceses of Louisiana and Mississippi have since partnered with the national Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Church Foundation to launch an appeal called "Darkness into Day: Restoring Hope in the Wake of Katrina."] 
            Laurie Matarazzo reported on a mission trip that youth and adults from Calvary, Summit, just took to St. John's Episcopal Church in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.  While the church building survived the hurricane, both the rectory and associate's home were destroyed.  The younger Calvary youth group raised $400 to send with the high schoolers to St. John's Church.  The group cleaned up a widow's home one day and volunteered at Camp Coast Care another.  Camp Coast Care is a joint Episcopal and Lutheran venture on the campus of Coast Episcopal School.  This center serves as a collection and distribution site, houses a medical center, and provides meals and sleeping accommodations for volunteers.  The mission trip participants saw places that haven't been touched by volunteers.  The high school youth have a PowerPoint presentation that they are willing to bring to interested congregations. 
 
Nominating/Search Committee
Louie Crew provided an update on the work of the Nominating/Search Committee for the 10th Bishop of Newark.  Nominations must be submitted by February 15, 2006.  He asked that people prayerfully consider clergy who might be good candidates for bishop of our diocese.  The special election convention will be held on September 23, 2006, in Newark.
 
Other Business:
  • The minutes of the October 25 meeting were accepted as circulated.
  • Please contact Hester Wharton if you would like an exhibit table at diocesan convention.
  • Eddie Onaodowan recommended we start planning the bishop send-off event earlier last year's timeline for the choir festival.  It was agreed that District 4 could manage one big event a year.  Perhaps the choral festival would occur every other year.
  • In response to a request for future meeting issues or concerns, Louie Crew suggested that one or two parishes could briefly share current projects that are working well.
  • District 4 will not meet in January due to diocesan convention or in February due a conflict with Shrove Tuesday and traditional parish pancake suppers.
  • Christ Church in Short Hills was thanked for its hospitality and the provision of a lovely dinner.
 
The next District 4 meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 28, at 7:00 p.m. at Grace, Newark.  District representatives are invited to take part in the Stations of the Cross at 7:15 p.m. in the church if they would like to do so.